WHO WAS JESUS - REALLY? Has the real Jesus been so buried by tradition and legend that he is now lost to people living in the 21st century?

Historian Dr John Dickson sets out to discover what we can know for certain about the life of one of history’s best known and most influential figures. In a captivating journey across the globe, Dr Dickson examines ancient documents and consults the world’s most respected historians and scholars.
Beginning with the Gnostic Gospels, he criss-crosses continents on a search back through time for the historical sources that reveal the real Jesus— a search for The Christ Files.

The Christ Files is a full-scale historical documentary based on the book of the same name by Dr. John Dickson, Director of the Centre for Public Christianity and Honorary Associate of the Department of Ancient History, Macquarie University, Australia.

Filmed in seven countries the documentary reveals the earliest and most important manuscript evidence for Jesus of Nazareth, including the writings of Josephus, Tacitus, the apostle Paul and the controversial Gnostic Gospels.

Neither a work of fanciful scepticism nor of Christian propaganda The Christ Files provides viewers with a front row seat to the facts behind Western civilisation’s most influential story.

Interviews with twelve of the most prominent scholars and historians and access to some of Israel’s most important archaeological sites give this documentary a unique authority.

A 2-disc DVD set that includes the complete four-part series plus over six hours of extended interviews is out now. Buy DVD here. For all other enquiries, phone Blue Bottle Books 02 8268 3344.

Episode One – GNOSTICS AND ROMANS
Examining manuscripts stretching from AD 250 to 75, Greco-Roman historians and the Gnostic gospels give us a picture of how the ancient world viewed Jesus of Nazareth.

Episode Two – JEWS AND CHRISTIANS
Starting with the records of Jesus’ own people, the Jews, we arrive at the early Christian sources, letters and biographies assembled between AD 90 and 48.

Episode Three – LOST SOURCES AND ORAL TRADITIONS
With a 20-year gap between Jesus’ death and the earliest written accounts of his life, we turn to the source of information considered most reliable in the 1st century – oral history.

Episode Four – ARCHAEOLOGISTS AND ARTEFACTS
Having uncovered a solid picture of the historical Jesus, archaeology helps us piece together the world in which Jesus lived, giving context to the things he said and did.

Scholars interviewed in the series

Professor Richard Bauckham of St Andrew’s University, Scotland on the Gospels and Eyewitness TestimonyProfessor Marcus Bockmuehl of St Andrew’s University, Scotland on Gnosticism and the Gnostic GospelsProfessor James Charlesworth of Princeton University, USA on the Dead Sea Scrolls and JesusProfessor James Dunn of Durham University, England on how ancient societies preserved traditions aurallyProfessor Sean Freyne of Trinity College, Dublin on the Archaeology of Galilee (filmed on location in Israel)Professor Martin Hengel of the University of Tubingen, Germany on the historical value of the GospelsProfessor Alanna Nobbs of Macquarie University, Australia on the Greco-Roman sources for studying JesusDr. Adolfo Roitman of Shrine of the Book, Israel on the discovery of the Dead Sea ScrollsProfessor Peter Stuhlmacher of University of Tubingen, Germany on the Apostle Paul and the value of his letters for the study of the historical JesusProfessor Christopher Tuckett of Oxford University, England on the source behind the Gospels, such as ‘Q’ Right Reverend Dr. Tom Wright, Bishop of Durham, England on the importance of the Old Testament for understanding the historical Jesus